Military personnel, law enforcement professionals, rescue personnel, medical and research professionals, and other groups of individuals (collectively referred to as “users”) often wear respiratory protection devices, such as facemasks, for protection from environments containing harmful and potentially fatal airborne toxins and other hazardous materials. Such toxins and materials may appear in the form of gases, vapors, particulate matter, and the like.
One particular type of respiratory protection apparatus is a positive air pressure system. Positive air pressure devices are often used in environments where the ambient air is relatively oxygen rich and the filtering elements are effective in removing all contaminants from the ambient air before the air enters the mask. Positive air pressure systems typically have a forced positive pressure source, such as a fan or a blower element for directing the air flow through the filter element(s). These breathing assistance devices are commonly referred to as powered air purifying respirators (PAPR).
PAPRs provide a continual supply of positive air pressure to the mask portion of the respirator to maintain positive pressure therein. In operation, the blower element continuously supplies filtered air to the internal space of the mask portion of the PAPR for the user. Meanwhile, exhaled air is continuously expelled. The positive pressure prevents ambient air from entering the mask portion and by extension reduces if not eliminates the possibility of foreign matter entering an imperfectly fitting mask.
However, the conventional PAPR devices are not without drawbacks. For instance, most of the currently available PAPRs are not designed to permit rapid and easy replacement of used or “spent” filters. More importantly, currently available PAPR devices do not offer the ability to easy replace a spent filter while the facemask is in continuous use in a hazardous environment by the user.
In many cases, the filter portions of the PAPR systems employ threaded connectors. In order for the user to change out a spent filter, the user must unscrew and discard the used filter and quickly screw a replacement filter in its place. Regardless of how quick the user may be in exchanging filters, the user may nonetheless be exposed to the ambient air through the unfiltered filter connection during the exchange of the filter elements. Accordingly, the process for replacing a filter in the current PAPR systems may be time consuming and may also lead to increased exposure to contaminants.
As a result of their design configurations, the range of use for these PAPRs is often limited. Due to the potential exposure to ambient air during filter exchange, filter exchange is typically limited to areas where the ambient area is free of toxic or otherwise harmful contaminants, or “safe zones.” In certain cases, these PAPR device may be required to be subjected to some level of decontamination prior to filter replacement in the safe zone.
An additional drawback is that conventional PAPR filters often tend to be bulky in size. Generally, the filters are relatively large cylindrically shaped cartridges. Depending on the positioning of the filters on the PAPR devices, the freedom of mobility of the user may be restricted or impaired, which consequently impacts how and in which environments the devices can be used.
Accordingly, there exists a long overdue need in the field for a filter system utilizing a positive air pressure that is quick and easy for the user to replace while actively using the positive air pressure system. More importantly, the filter system should permit the user to independently replace the used filters without assistance while remaining in the contaminated environment, and without the need for removing the facemask or without the risk of being exposed to the potentially hazardous ambient air.